Pastor Blogs

Marriage Equality St. Paul in the Desert has been “Welcoming, Empowering, and Supporting” people in Palm Springs for 75 years. That is a big claim and I make it with guarded reservations. We have done this for some people for the entirety of our presence as a community of faith, though not for all. The […]

There Are No Guarantees The Supreme Court rulings today, striking down DOMA and allowing Judge Walker’s ruling against Proposition 8 to stand are welcome steps in the movement of our country to a more just and equal nation. As a result of today’s rulings, same-gender couples in California and other states who are able to […]

One of the things that I hear about church is that “they are always asking for money.” I don’t think that is technically true, but I understand the feeling. I pay to go to the gym. In the contract, after the fee for joining, there is an additional “maintenance fee” to be paid every 6 […]

In the reading from Acts 10 we read this weekend, the apostle Peter and his friends experience and we readers witness a new way of being Christian. People who had no business being included are embraced. They are embraced, not by the Christians initially, but by God’s Spirit. Peter catches on and becomes an advocate […]

Personal Update Ordinarily I comment on one of the Scriptures for the following weekend, but I have been asked to comment on a more personal issue. So I hope you will indulge me in this Abundant Lite. Next week will be back to the Scripture. I thought of making the header to say “Where’s Susan?” […]

St. Paul in the Desert, Palm Springs, CA Vestry Nominees 2012-2015 One of the main events of the Annual Parish Meeting on January 29th at 9:15 am (between the services) is the election of our 4 Vestry Members to serve until January 2015. A nominating committee made up of the outgoing Vestry members has put […]

The service of Baptism with Confirmation (inc. all the sub-categories) is a great time to see the congregation anew. The Rt. Rev. Chilton Knudsen was the presider and preacher. She was also a partner with our Catechist, Br. Michael-Gregory in the 6 weeks of preparation. A goodly number have taken her up on her offer of […]

Matthew Stewart died last night. Matthew was 24 and he died after a long fight with Batten Disease. Today I learned that Matthew was amazingly connected with God, and always had been. Matthew brought his parents to church. It was not one of those pressures of parenthood where mom and dad feel compelled to get […]

This Vestry Retreat feels like a joy! Focused participants, gentle guidance, and an awareness that God’s love is abundant is what makes this occasion joyful. This moves the weekend from checking the “Vestry Retreat is Done” box to being a time of renewal and excitement for God’s mission. We started with dinner at El Torito’s […]

In the Gospel for this week (Matthew 5:38-48) Jesus refers to turning the other cheek, and other responses to personal attacks. It seems that the context is the particular honor/shame culture of the time. Emerson Powery sees this as referring to fair justice and non-violent resistance. Susan was at a lab for blood work yesterday. […]

I flew to Columbus, OH today for a Joint Board Meeting of Seabury and Bexley at Trinity Lutheran Seminary. The travel was frustrating, because I have done lots of travel, and I allowed myself to rush the details. First there were the reservations. They were split, leaving and return were separate. Only problem, I did […]

In tomorrow’s reading from the Hebrew Scripture, Isaiah 58:1-12, there is a fragment of verse 9 that always gets my attention. The people are invited to give up “the pointing of the finger.” This is in amongst a variety of other behaviors that stand in the way of real righteousness and justice. I don’t think […]

All across the world this weekend, preachers who use the Revised Common Lectionary will be trying to shed new light on one of the most familiar of Gospel readings, the Beatitudes according to Matthew. I have not yet had a revelation about this passage, and that has led me to fall back on trying to […]

Rather, Jesus withdraws, builds a community, and then Gets Busy. [Read Matthew 4:12-23 – http://tinyurl.com/4vnq47y] John, who prepared the way, is arrested. The only community that we know of for Jesus – to that point – is taken off the table. As a result, Jesus withdraws. Jesus withdraws at significant times in his ministry, usually […]

As I was driving to the home of a parishioner to make a delivery of cd’s, I heard most of President Obama’s speech in Tucson. The occasion was a community gathering to morn the loss of those killed and injured by a lone gunman last Saturday. It was a time fro remembering and it was […]

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